Imperial whitetail beets & greens
UBe sure to stay within the planting dates for your area (see planting chart at right). If you have questions regarding the following instructions, please call Whitetail Institute at (800) 688-3030 ext. 2
before proceeding.
For Best Results
BEETS & GREENS should be planted in medium to well-drained soils.
1. If possible, perform a laboratory soil test to determine exact-lime-and-fertilizer requirements. If a soil test is not done, add 2 tons of lime per acre. Disk the lime thoroughly into the top few inches of soil. (If possible, add and incorporate lime well in advance of planting).
2. If new or weedy ground, consider disking or tilling again two weeks later.
If weed and grass competition is still heavy, consider spraying a glyphosate herbicide before planting.
3. Just before planting, add fertilizer as recommended in your soil test report. If a soil test wasn't done, add 400 pounds of 17-17-17 or equivalent fertilizer per acre. Lightly disk or harrow fertilizer into the top few inches of the soil.
4. Smooth the seedbed with a heavy drag or cultipacker.
5. Broadcast seed at the rate shown on the front of the bag.
6. DO NOT COVER THE SEED. If you used a drag in Step D, do nothing further after you put out the seed. If you used a cultipacker in Step D, then cultipack again after seeding to help establish good seed-to-soil contact.
7. Optional: For best results, fertilize again 30 to 45 days after planting with
100 pounds of 34-0-0 or equivalent high Nitrogen fertilizer per acre.
APPLY FERTILIZER WHEN PLANTS ARE DRY!
To gauge grazing pressure, consider putting a small wire basket over a portion of your planting so you can compare forage height.